You're right, of course, so far as Columbus' personal history is concerned. And few are the early explorers who don't carry similar baggage.

But that's not why the Left is attacking him. I would bet that nine out of ten anti-Columbus protesters have never heard of Hispaniola or any other actual historical fact about Columbus. To them, all they need to know is that Columbus was the White Guy, and the representative of Western Civilization, and that's as far as they feel they need to take it.

And by the way, I'll match America's record on ugly history with any other nation on the planet. The good America has done the world far outweighs her mistakes.